Patriots Resign Leigh Bodden and Wilfork's Contract Details

Bodden signed a four-year contract to remain with the Patriots. The contract has a maximum value of $22 million (guarantees $10 million). As I said yesterday I think the Patriots had to bring this guy back. The free agent corners market is really weak, and Bodden may not be a star he is certainly serviceable.

Boston.com also broke down Vince Wilfork's contract, which I thought was very interesting...

SIGNING BONUS
$18 million

BASE SALARIES ($20.015 Million)
2010: $750,000*
2011: $765,000*
2012: $4.5 Million*
2013: $6.5 Million
2014: $7.5 Million
* -- guaranteed

WEIGHT BONUSES ($1.185 Million)
2010: $150,000
2011: $135,000
2012: $300,000
2013: $300,000
2014: $300,000

WORKOUT BONUSES ($800,000)
2010: $100,000
2011: $100,000
2012: $200,000
2013: $200,000
2014: $200,000

So if you add that all up it comes out to $40 million. Still, the last two years of this is not guaranteed, so the Patriots do have some wiggle room to get out of this contract if it turn bad.

Pats Sign Vince Wilfork

They got the deal with Vince Wilfork at $40 million over five years and the deal includes an $18 million signing bonus and $25 million guaranteed. Not to bad. I believe this was extremely fair and the normally penny pinching Patriots had to open their wallets for this one.

Vince is one of the best, if not the best defensive tackle in the NFL. Last year, when the Patriots had defensive struggles, Vince was the only one who continuously impressed. He is the key to their 3-4 defense and is a force in the middle. This deal means that Vince will spend his whole career in New England figuring he is 28 right now.

Patriots Close To Deal With Wilfork

A very ugly situation may not be so ugly after all. Today Kraft came out and said that the Patriots and Vince Wilfork, who is currently franchised, are close to a long term deal, and they hope to finish it up soon. There is no word from Wilfork, but this is the most positive news we have heard in a long time. Wilfork might be the best player on the Patriots' defense, and it is hard to find a guy who can dominate the middle of that line like Wilfork does.

Kraft also talked about Randy Moss' comments. If you can remember Moss came out and said the Patriots don't pay top dollar, and that this would most likely be his last year in New England. Here is Kraft's response...

“I think (his comments) were taken out of context,” Kraft said. “Do you know what he made over the last two years with us? He made over $20 million the last two years. We don’t pay for quality? I think you can see that (we do).”

Both have points. On the one hand Moss needs to shut up, because he has been paid every well here, but on the other hand the Patriots have a track record of not going out and signing the top free agents. Not that is a bad thing, because with the salary cap you can't be a good/deep team and recklessly spend (ask Washington).

Anyways, I will be very happy if this Wilfork contract can be settled, and they can start focusing on next season. As for Moss, he doesn't have a lot of options. He has to go out and 100% this year if he wants to make any money next offseason, and to be honest I am fine with this being his last year in New England.

Breaking News: Vince Wilfork Gets Tagged (UPDATED)

Well, what we all thought would happen has finally happened. Vince Wilfork was franchised by the New England Patriots today. Wilfork has said that he will not be a happy camper if this was to happen. There is a little crack in the door though, as this is a non-exclusive franchise tag meaning he can negotiate with other clubs, but the Patriots retain matching rights and any club signing him (if New England were to decline to match) would have to give up 2 first round picks.

This will be an ongoing story throughout the offseason, and probably into the start of the season. Wilfork is set to make $7.003MM, but would have made a lot more in the open market. I don't fault the Patriots, since I think his demands are most likely crazy. The last four times the Patriots have used the tag, the sides have failed to reach a long-term deal.

Obviously, we'll have more on this story as it develops.


***UPDATE***

Wilfork has responded to he Patriots franchising him...

"In regards to the many calls and emails i am receiving in response to the franchise tag we figured this would be the easiest way to (address this). The franchise tag has been applied. After six years of dedicated service i do understand this is a business. With that being said it is my hope that the tag is applied for its true purpose. For the purpose of allotting more time for us to continue our talks and be able to reach a long term agreement. Only time will tell what the final result will be."

The Patriots have also come out and commented on this story...

"A long-term agreement with Vince Wilfork has been the team's top contractual priority for some time," the Patriots announced in a statement confirming Wilfork was tagged. "Unfortunately, despite numerous conversations and proposals, the goal has not yet been realized. Vince is a tremendous player for our team and remains a significant part of our future plans. It is because of Vince's importance to this organization that we have assigned the franchise designation as we continue to work toward a long-term agreement. We are hopeful that Vince will remain a Patriot for many years to come."

It's Tag Time For Wilfork

NFL teams can start using the franchise tag today. This is a really big deal for the Patriots this year. Wilfork is a free agent, and is looking for a lucrative long term deal. To me it is not a question of if Wilfork will be tagged, but when.

The Patriots have until Feb 25th to franchise him, so I would expect that they are going to take up until that day to do it. They might try to work out a deal, but I am not very optimistic. What I think will happen will be the Patriots will franchise him (he'll make about $8MM next year), but I think they will go beyond that and do an exclusive tag, which will cost more, but Wilfork will lose the ability to talk to other teams (the Ravens did this with Suggs last year).

From Wilfork's quotes earlier this offseason you would think that there is no way he is going to show up without a new deal, but what choice does he have. Even if he holds out the Patriots can just franchise him again the following season. Sucks to be Wilfork, but he is going to make a ton of money anyways, and NFL contract lengths really don't matter, since they are all basically not guaranteed.

Patriots Are About To Have A Massive Problem

"a slap in the face." He then added, "I want a long-term deal or I want to be free. Point blank." Said Vince Wilfork. Which essentially means, If those faggots franchise me, I'm going to throw a fucking hissy fit and hold out. I mean as an avid Patriots hater, I kind of want this to be a huge distraction for the team and Vince Wilfork whoops Belichoke. However, I'm not really sure why players in the NFL hate getting franchised, I know it is zero job security, but you are making a ton of money for one year.

If I were the Patriots, I would probably call his bluff and draft a guy like Terrence Cody in the 2nd, or 3rd and groom him to be Vince's replacement, and hope he can take over next year.

Vince Wilfork To Get Franchised?

Oh....Vince Wilfork is not going to like this. There are rumors from the Globe today that the Patriots are leaning towards franchises Wilfork rather then letting him walk or giving him a long term contract. Wilfork has openly come out and stated he does not want to be franchised, but if you were the Patriots why wouldn't you. Wilfork is viewed as a top 3 DT, and after they crazy money Haynesworth got last offseason, why wouldn't Vince expect the same?

He would probably get it on the open market, but I just hope the Patriots deal with this quickly, because they have a lot to work on this offseason and we all know how important the nose tackle is in a 3-4 defense (if that is what they are planning to use).

In other Patriots news...Tom Brady will not play in the Pro Bowl. All I have to say is good, I hope no Patriots play, it's a fucking useless event that just risks injuries (I'll save my rant on that for another day).

Patriots Send 4 To Pro Bowl

The Patriots will have 4 players in the Pro Bowl this year; Welker, Wilfork, Brady, and Mankins. Obviously Welker and Brady were going to make it. Brady is having his 2nd best season ever (stats wise), while Welker is starting to make the case of being one of the best WRs over the past 3 seasons. The only guy you could really make a case for deserving to make it would be Moss. He does lead the NFL in touchdown catches, but he has had a lot of up and down games, so I am not overly pissed or anything. Hopefully no Patriots will play in the Pro Bowl, because that would mean they are in the Super Bowl.

To be honest, I really don't give a shit about this. The Pro Bowl is a fucking joke, and they should just get rid of it all together, and do some kind of skill competition. I would much rather watch that...

The Patriots Are Banged Up

"In another sign that the Patriots may have to compete Sunday with a thin defensive line, Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren missed practice for the third straight day. Wilfork left Sunday's game with a foot injury, and Warren left with an ankle injury. Running back Fred Taylor returned to practice after missing yesterday, and both Tom Brady and Randy Moss were present (Boston.com)."

The Patriots really need Wilfork and Warren to tough it out and play this week. As Rob wrote earlier in the week this is a must win for the Patriots, and they have already had their struggles with their defensive line, so losing these guys would be extremely tough to overcome. We'll keep you posted if we hear more...

No Progress In Deal For Wilfork

"Calling reports of progress on a new deal with the New England Patriots "bullcrap", DT Vince Wilfork has resigned himself to the fact that he might not be long for Foxboro, per the Boston Herald. Judging by the contract doled out to Albert Haynesworth this past offseason, it's no wonder he's not too upset. He's also having one of his best seasons ever, and given the fact that the can function in the key role of NT in a 3-4, he will be highly sought-after this offseason if the Pats don't re-sign him (ESPN)."

I said it before I really don't see Wilfork coming back. He is going to be way to expensive the Patriots don't like giving out those kind of deals. It is going to be real interesting to see how all of this plays out as the Patriots continue to rework their squad.

Mayo/Wilfork Back At Practice

"Linebacker Jerod Mayo, who has been out since he suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee in the season-opener against Buffalo on Sept. 14, and nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who sprained his left ankle last week against Atlanta, were both present for the media portion of today's Patriots' practice. The Patriots went about half-speed through special teams and Mayo participated on kickoff coverage. He was wearing baggy sweatpants, but there appeared to be a bulging outline of a brace underneath them on the right knee. Mayo's injury happened 18 days ago. The initial diagnosis for the MCL sprain was 6 to 8 weeks, but a source with knowledge of the injury had told the Globe the timetable was not that bad and Mayo could be back sooner (Boston.com)."

Great news for the Patriots, but don't get over excited. I don't think there is any way that Mayo plays this week (though I think Wilfork will). Still, it is good to see that Mayo is progressing well and could be back in the next couple of weeks. Mayo and Wilfork are really 1 and 2 in terms of importance to the Patriots, so getting them back on the field has to be priority #1 for New England.

Vince Wilfork Injury Update (UPDATED)

"After injuring his ankle on Sunday, New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork was forced from the game in the second quarter and didn't return. According to what teammate Mike Wright told the Boston Globe, Wilfork sounded like he was in good spirits, but was a bit frustrated at missing the final two quarters.

"He's very disappointed I'm sure. Anyone would be. He's a fighter, and he'll be back (ESPN)."

As usual the Patriots will gives us very little to go on. The good news is that the Patriots defense actually looked good without him. Still, the Patriots could really use Wilfork against the running game of the Ravens which has been clicking so far this season. We will keep you posted as the practice reports are released, but once again it is so hard to know who is going to play or not for the Patriots.


***UPDATE***

Good news for Patriots fans!!!

Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork has been diagnosed with a sprained left ankle. The injury is “not expected to be long-term,” a source with knowledge of his condition told The Boston Herald.

Patriots No Closer To Extension For Wilfork

This will be a story that goes on all year...

"Vince Wilfork is one of the top nose tackles in the NFL because he holds his ground. The Patriots are one of the most successful teams in the NFL because they don’t budge when it comes to their budget. With the Patriots’ season set to kick off three weeks from today, Wilfork, who is in the final year of a six-year rookie deal and will make $2.2 million in base salary, and the Patriots are no closer to an extension. When asked yesterday about the status of contract negotiations, Wilfork said “there isn’t anything there’’ and answered “no’’ when asked if the Patriots had made him an offer that made him think those terms could lead to a deal getting done. He referred to the situation as “pretty frustrating (Boston.com).’’

Wilfork is one of the best DTs I have ever seen, but with the labor agreement running out, and the endless amount of players the Patriots have to resign, this fight is far from over. The Patriots will never give Wilfork "Hayensworth" money, so I really doubt he will be back next year. This is really "the year" for the Patriots as it looks like there could be a couple years of rebuilding coming. Still, a team that has a healthy Brady and Belichick will never be too far off.

Dan Shaughnessy Says Patriots Will Resign Wilfork

I hate Dan Shaughnessy, but I found this interesting, because I think Wilfork is definitely gone after this season...

Wilfork Shows Up At Camp

"Nose tackles usually toil in anonymity, but Vince Wilfork was front and center yesterday after he ended his string of offseason absences by showing up for the first day of the Patriots' three-day mandatory minicamp as expected (Boston.com)."

Not going to write about this since it feel like I write about it everyday, but Wilfork did show up at camp today (as expected). Here are the comments he made...

"I love football," said Wilfork. "It's something mandatory. I signed a six-year deal. I'm going to meet all my obligations and that's being here for mandatory stuff. That's why I was here. It wasn't a big deal if I was going to show up or not. All this while, I knew where I kind of wanted to be. At the same time, I still had some uncertainty of what was going on, and do I really want to come out here? But at the end of the day, I felt it was best for me to come out here, and it's best for the organization to know that I am out here. At the end of the day, I'm still a Patriot and I want to be a Patriot (Boston.com)."

Basically this is exactly what you want to hear from him if you're a Patriots fan. I have no idea if they will be able to resign him, but for now it really doesn't matter. What does matter is the 2009 season and getting back on top. To do that they need all there players ready to go, and Wilfork sounds like he will be ready.

Wilfork Holdout Update

Finally it sounds like we have some good news on the Wilfork story...

"The Patriots held their final organized team activity yesterday, and once again nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who is seeking a new contract, was absent. That made Wilfork 0 for the OTAs. However, expect Wilfork's offseason attendance to improve today, when the Patriots kick off their three-day mandatory minicamp. Nobody in Wilfork's camp would confirm he'll be in attendance today, but the strong vibe last night was that he will be on the field. It was part of the plan for Wilfork to attend mandatory events, and he has 500,000 good reasons why it's in his best interest to end his boycott (Boston.com)."

I agree with this article, and think that Wilfork will be there. He sent his message to the Patriots that he is not happy about his contract and will be looking elsewhere if they don't come up with something, but now that the message has been sent it is time to get down to business. Wilfork needs to have a strong season if he wants to get top dollar, so I really don't expect many headaches from him for the rest of the season...

Mankins Going A Different Route Then Wilfork

Logan Makins is going a much different road when dealing while dealing with his contract expiring after this season...

"Unlike a list of other players in contract flux that have not shown up to their team's organized activities this offseason, New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins will not be missing any of the team's voluntary sessions, according to the Boston Herald (ESPN)."

Both Mankins and Wilfork are free agents after this season, and both will be making a shit load of money on their next contract. I like the way that Mankins is dealing with this. He knows after this year is his time to cash in, so instead of trying to twist the patriots arm to do something he has instead chosen to do everything in his power to have a great 2009 season. Wilfork on the other hand has decided to skip the Patriots' voluntary practices, and may even skip some of the mandatory practice. I know Wilfork wants to stay in New England, but I think Mankins has the right approach here by just getting ready for the 2009 season then dealing with contracts after the season...

Vince Wilfork Update

Vince Wilfork for the first time was made available to the media. He made something interesting comments that put my mind a little to ease about the upcoming season...

"I love football ... to miss the OTAs, that really hurt me, because any time my family is on the field, I want to be there. At the same time, that's the business part to it. I'm looking forward to the upcoming season. Hopefully everything is resolved and if not, I'm gonna go forward, be 100 percent, and give everything that I have. Because that's what I do. Just because of the contract or the negotiation, if that's not done before the season, it won't stop me from working hard (Boston.com)."

At least we know he is not looking to hold out into the season. Would I like him at camp/ Obviously, but the Patriots have a chance to make another Super Bowl run and to do so they are going to need Wilfork. I am not sure if they will be able to resign him, but I am concerned about this year, so this quote will make me sleep a little bit easier...

Vince Wilfork Update

Vince Wilfork confirmed what a lot of us already knew. He is pissed about his contract and skipped OTA's to prove a point. What is getting scary is that there is a good chance this could boil over into the season. Wilfork has his feet in the ground and will not budge. He wants a new deal, and the Patriots are known for not giving in. So...where does that leaves us?

Well if you think the way Tony Massarotti does, then you better get ready for life without Wilfork. I really hope that it doesn't come to that, but I have to agree with Massarotti, and say that most likely Wilfork will not be with the Patriots after this season. My question is how far Wilfork is ready to take this. The best guess I can come up with is that he will holdout for some of training camp, but in the end he is going to want to get on the field so that he can get top dollar after this season.

We have see this many times before, and every time the Patriots choose the team over the player. It happened with Adam Vinatieri, Deion Branch, Asante Samuel, and so on. Wilfork is going to want too much, and the Patriots are just going to have to find another replacement.

Here is the video of Vince talking about his contract...

Will Wilfork Show Up To Camp? (UPDATED)

There could be a serious problem growing in New England, and shockingly it has nothing to do with Tom Brady. While all the eyes are on Brady during camp, there is another player that people should be looking at (if you can find him). Wilfork is in the last year of his deal, and he wants a new contract. After seeing what Haynesworth got from the Redskins the patriots are going to have a real tough tiem resigning this guy. Wilfork is arguably the 2nd best DT in the game. Belichick once said he is the best player he has ever coached, which is amazing with the players the Patriots have had over the past 7-9 years.

So the question is, will Wilfork show up to camp? The Patriots are reports that over 80 of the 91 players on the roster are at camp. Is Wilfork one of the guys that decided not to show? My thinking is that he will show up, because he is going to want to have a monster year if he is going to want to get paid like a premier player. Anyways, this is just something Patriots fans should keep an eye on, because Wilfork means more to that defense then anyone else on the roster.


**UPDATE**


Vince Wilfork was not on the field during the media part of todays workouts. Here is a look at who else was not there:

DE Ty Warren

DL Jarvis Green

OL Mark LeVoir

C Al Johnson

LB Tedy Bruschi

LB Jerod Mayo

LB Tyrone McKenzie

S Ray Ventrone

CB Mike Richardson

RB Sammy Morris

S Brandon Meriweather

WR Brandon Tate

WR Shun White

WR Tyree Barnes

I am not very worried yet, since Bruschi, Warren, and Mayo were also not on the field.